MURAT A LEGISLATOR.

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“ a sabre of honour,” which was presented him with anaddress of thanks, in the presence of his troops.

This battle of Marengo put an end to the series oftriumphs, constituting that campaign of thirty-five days.

Having now a few weeks of repose, Murat decided uponpaying a visit to his paternal roof, and chose for travellingcompanion his old schoolfellow, General Bessieres . Myreaders will remember that they had left Cahors together,simple volunteers, and now, after a lapse of ten years, theyre-visited the scenes of their boyhood, invested with thehighest military rank, and covered with honours. It isneedless to state with what enthusiasm the generals werereceived upon their arrival in the neighbourhood of theirnative town. The feeling spread over all that portion ofFrance ; and the ingenuity of the inhabitants was exhaustedin devising feasts, and triumphs, and addresses in honour oftheir visitors.

In the course of my recital of the Neapolitan-Bourbonwars against France , I have shewn the part taken in thoseevents by Murat, then commander-in-chief of the French armies in Italy . To avoid repetitions, I must thereforepass over all this portion of his career, and bring him toParis at the peace of 1802, where, in the midst of his family,he enjoyed a short interval of repose and domestic felicity.He had now two children, Achilles, born 21st January,1801, and Lucian, born 10th May, 1802..

Peace had now endured above a year, when Napoleon named Murat, President of the Elective council of thedepartment of the Lot, of which he was a native; andhe now found himself engaged in discussions concerningcivil laws and polity, as he was named by the electors ofthat department, their deputy to the “ Legislative body,”which held its sittings at Paris .

The beginning of 1804 produced the conspiracy of the